


Impala

by lolamit



Series: Tales from the Pearl of Africa [1]
Category: The Book of Mormon - Ambiguous Fandom, The Book of Mormon - Parker/Stone/Lopez
Genre: Connor loves Kevin, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, Kevin is also way too impulsive for his own good, Kevin loves animals more than people, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, but it's okay bc he's cute, or physical hurt/comfort tbh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-24
Updated: 2020-02-24
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:14:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,166
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22886131
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lolamit/pseuds/lolamit
Summary: “Didn’t think you’d come back,” says Kevin quietly and Connor’s heart sinks again.“What can I say, Elder? You always render me a fool.”
Relationships: Elder "Connor" McKinley/Kevin Price
Series: Tales from the Pearl of Africa [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1645078
Comments: 7
Kudos: 36





	Impala

It is dark when Connor McKinley decides to stop working for the night. The sun set a few hours ago and most of the other Elders were fast asleep, but as the District Leader – or former District Leader – Connor feels it is his duty to finish up the day’s work, regardless of how late it got. 

Today had been a hectic day, too, so Connor isn’t surprised when he glances up at the clock above the doorframe and finds it is almost midnight. He leans back in his chair, knowing the chipped wood will leave scratch marks along his back despite wearing his uniform. In a sense, he likes the feeling. It’s an absurd, yet comforting reminder that he is not as numb as he once used to be. 

Suddenly, there is a clatter sounding from the next room and Connor shoots to his feet in shock. It isn’t until he hears a faint _shit_ that he lets out a sigh of relief, realizing only now that he’d been holding his breath. 

“Elder Price,” he says as he walks into the kitchen. “It’s rather late.”

Kevin doesn’t turn around, he offers a distracted _hello_ and keeps rummaging through one of the cupboards. Connor watches him for a moment, unsure how to assess the situation. Elder Price has a way of getting himself into all sorts of trouble, and Connor usually doesn’t mind lending him a helping hand.

“What do you need?” says Connor to which Kevin finally looks up at him. Connor’s stomach fills with butterflies. 

“Where’s the first aid kit?” Kevin asks.

“Are you hurt?” 

Connor takes a step forward and suddenly finds himself scanning Kevin’s body for wounds. Elder Price is not a graceful person, Connor has seen him bump into their kitchen table more times than he can count. 

“No,” Kevin shakes his head. “It’s not for me.”

“Oh dear, is one of the other Elders hurt? Is it Poptarts? I told him not to shave with the utility knife!” 

Kevin laughs, and Connor falls in love with the sound. 

“It’s not Poptarts,” he assures. “Although I could see it happening.”

“Then who is the first aid kit for?” 

Kevin averts his gaze, reaches a hand to his head and scratches the back of his neck. The bottom of his shirt rides up, exposing the tiniest sliver of skin and Connor only glances for half a second. 

And then once more for good measure.

“You’re going to laugh,” says Kevin sheepishly and Connor narrows his eyes. 

“What are you up to, Elder?” he asks. 

Kevin walks over to the table and takes a seat, drumming his fingers on the chair. Connor wonders if it’s a tic or if Elder Price is nervous, but he decides not to push and waits for the boy to give him an answer. 

He takes the moment of silence as an opportunity to admire the Elder, the dim light would usually not do anyone’s appearance justice, yet Elder Price manages to look beautiful as ever. His eyes twinkle in the moonlight seeping through the window to his left, and his hair – although disheveled – falls perfectly around his face in a way that entices anybody lucky enough to see it.

But then again, Connor’s opinion might be biased. 

“There’s a calf,” says Kevin after a moment’s thought, “only five minutes away. She’s hurt, I think.”

“You mean to say the first aid kit is for an animal?” laughs Connor. 

“I knew you were going to laugh!” exclaims Kevin, as he stands back up and walks past Connor toward the door. Connor follows. 

“Where are you going, Elder?” he asks. 

“I have to help her, Connor.”

Kevin reaches for the door handle and Connor is in front of him before he can turn the lock. Connor can see a flash of surprise in the boy’s eyes, and Connor is rather surprised himself. 

“You are not leaving the house at this hour, so help me God.”

Elder Price is standing so close to him, and Connor tries to make himself bigger by holding his head up high, still not quite reaching Elder Price’s eye level. He tries to keep his breathing steady but his heart is racing because his fingers are touching the fabric on Elder Price’s chest and he can feel the warm air escaping the boy’s lips against his own skin, the sensation sending a shock of electricity throughout his body.

The rest of the house is silent, and Connor fears their voices might have woken someone up, but he is the District– _was_ the District Leader and it is his responsibility to make sure the other Elders are safe. 

Unfortunately, that includes a very defiant – and very irresistible – Kevin Price. 

“I’ve already broken most of the rules anyway, what’s one more.”

“This is not about breaking rules, Elder. This is about you not getting eaten by lions.”

Elder Price screws up his face in discontent, but ultimately takes a step back and Connor watches him closely as he moves back into the kitchen. Once again, he follows. Connor is afraid he might follow the Elder to the end of the world one day. 

Kevin plops down on one of the chairs, watching as Connor opens one of the cupboards to reach for a glass. All this lunacy – standing so close to Elder Price – made his mouth dry. He walks over to the fridge to get some water, and as soon as he turns his back he can hear a chair scrape against the floor and spins back round to find Kevin making a beeline for the door. 

“Elder Price!” He darts after the boy but comes to a halt in the kitchen doorframe, his eyes meeting Kevin’s flustered, yet impish look. “Kevin Price, if you so much as open that door I swear to Heavenly Father I will kill you myself.”

The smile on Kevin’s face sends shivers down his spine and he isn’t sure why the Elder’s obnoxious disrespect for orders makes him feel so _alive_. 

“Sorry.” 

“Kev– Kevin!” 

Elder Price is through the door before Connor can stop him and it takes him less than two seconds to sprint after the rebel. _The stupid, selfless bastard_ , he thinks. Then he realizes he’s every bit a fool as Kevin. 

Elder Price is fast like you would not believe, and Connor cannot quite catch up despite being in decent shape. They zigzag between trees, only illuminated by the moon above them, and Connor thanks God for the adrenaline keeping him from losing his head out of sheer fright. He doesn’t like the woods in daylight, much less at night time when he’s more than easy prey. 

“Are you out of your mind, Elder!” whisper-shouts Connor as they come to a halt. “There are hyenas walking around like stray cats around these parts, lest you’ve forgotten we’re in _Uganda_ , for Heaven’s sake!”

They are standing in a small glade, and Connor is thankful for the lack of trees obscuring what little light the moon provides them. Kevin crouches next to the antelope in front of them, reaching out a hand to gently pet the wounded animal who surprisingly doesn’t flinch at the touch. Connor can’t help but think of all the more reasons why this was absolutely _insane_ , but the way Elder Price is so cautious, so careful, makes him wish there was a way he could help. 

“She’s an impala,” says Kevin softly. “She can’t be more than a couple of months old.”

Connor squats down beside him. “This is _dangerous_ , Elder,” he pleads, and Kevin shoots him an apologetic look.

“We have to help her; I don’t think she can even stand.”

“There’s nothing we can do, there’s no shelter back at the hut and you know we can’t take her inside.” 

Elder Price is quiet for a moment and Connor thinks he can hear every predator known to man creep closer. 

“I thought,” says Kevin, “that Gotswana could take a look at her tomorrow.” 

Connor’s heart sinks. “Gotswana is a doctor,” he says gingerly, feeling a pang of sadness hit his chest, “not a veterinarian.”

“Same difference,” says Kevin. “We can’t just leave her.” 

“I know you only want to help, Elder, but she’s a sitting duck either way,” tries Connor. “And the longer we stay, so are we.”

Kevin turns to look at Connor and Connor can see the frustration in his eyes through the moonlit darkness. He wants to help, he really does, but Connor’s top priority is keeping the Elders safe, not Africa’s wildlife, however sentimental the thought is. Elder Price does not share this priority, however, no, Elder Price is as selfless with animals as he is selfish with people. 

“Well, _I_ can’t leave her,” he snaps. “You can go back to the hut for all I care, but I have to help her.”

Connor sighs as he stands back up. He’d be lying if he said that Elder Price doesn’t run him up the wall at times. Usually, the matter is trivial, though, something unimportant that Connor can easily brush off or even get behind depending on what it is. But at other times, Kevin would put himself in immediate danger for reasons beyond Connor, and sometimes he wonders if those actions are deliberate or if Elder Price simply lacks the ability to consider the consequences. 

Kevin is still crouched down when Connor turns around, and neither of them says a word as Connor takes off back into the looming darkness. He wants to curse at every tree branch he forgets to dodge but Connor McKinley is not a rebel. He might not be as Mormon as he once was, but Hell will freeze over before he becomes a deliberate rule-breaker. 

He reaches the hut in a few minutes but walks past the door and heads straight for the shed behind it. A quiet prayer escapes his lips as he pulls the wheelbarrow out and sets off in the direction he had come from. The wheelbarrow makes it difficult to run and he wonders if the noise he’s making will attract more predators or scare them away. 

He dreads the former is more likely and tries to hurry as fast as the rough terrain allows him to. 

“There, girl,” he can hear Elder Price say as he reaches the end of the glade.

Kevin’s head snaps up, but his expression relaxes when he spots Connor. 

“Jesus, Elder,” he breathes. “You scared the shit out of me.”

“Language,” Connor finds himself saying as he nears the wounded animal, and he notices a smile flash across Kevin’s lips before he turns his head back around. 

“Didn’t think you’d come back,” says Kevin quietly and Connor’s heart sinks again. 

“What can I say, Elder? You always render me a fool,” says Connor as he gives Kevin a gentle look, then shakes his head in disbelief. “Now help me lift her.”

They count to three before lifting the antelope, placing it carefully in the wheelbarrow. Connor is surprised by the lack of resistance from the calf and soon realizes it could be sick and neither of them is wearing gloves. 

“Oh, dear Lord, it could be riddled with disease.” He wipes his hands on his pants desperately. “If I die because of this I will kill you.”

Kevin laughs but says nothing back as they start back toward the hut. Connor can’t believe they’re still alive, and that favorable adrenaline has long escaped him, leaving him more alert to every sound, every movement, than ever. 

They hurry through the thicker parts of the forest, but the ground is still bumpy and the wheelbarrow is heavier now than before. A bush rustles and Connor wants to scream but they keep going, pushing either handle forward until Elder Price’s side swerves and _oh, Heavenly Father they are going to die_.

“Fuck,” cries Kevin, and Connor is by his side in an instant. 

“Can you walk?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” says Kevin. 

Connor helps him back to his feet and then they’re off again. Connor forgets to breathe until he can see the hut through the trees. 

They roll the wheelbarrow back into the shed and Kevin disappears inside but returns quickly with a blanket and two bowls. He places the blanket on the floor of the shed and Connor helps him lift the antelope down onto it. One of the bowls he had brought is filled with water and the other one with leftover vegetables from last night’s dinner. Connor can’t help but smile; Elder Price can be so thoughtful when he truly cares. 

They don’t close the door completely so as not to trap the calf if she regains her strength but they don’t leave it wide open so she’ll be visible from the outside. Connor knows that _if_ a predator were to come close enough, though, a door would not suffice to keep her safe, but he thinks it might be the next best thing. Kevin agrees, or so it seems since he doesn’t argue, for once. 

Once back inside, Connor lets out a relieved breath, thanking God for not letting them die. So many things could have gone wrong – _should_ have gone wrong, but here they are, in the safety of their hut, alive and well. 

Then he suddenly remembers Elder Price’s fall, and darts over to where the boy is stood leaning over the sink, cleaning the wound with the tapwater Connor would not trust if his life so depended on it. The cut is deep, stretching from his elbow nearly all the way down to his hand, but it isn’t bleeding too heavily, at least. 

Connor reaches into the cupboard to the far left and pulls out a first aid kit, and as he returns to Kevin’s side, he can practically see the Elder memorizing its location. He opens a pack of antiseptic wipes and Kevin winces when he presses it softly against his skin. 

“Does it hurt?” asks Connor. 

Kevin nods. “I must have hit a rock or something. I barely felt it before.”

“You were jacked up on adrenaline,” Connor smiles. “Lord knows that’s the only thing that kept me going.”

Kevin smiles but doesn’t answer. 

“How did you find her anyway?” asks Connor and Kevin’s smile fades as he looks away, clearly evading the question.

“Uh,” 

“Elder Price, do not tell me you were walking the woods alone at night,” Connor warns.

“Okay,” says Kevin, a mischievous tint in his eyes. “I wasn’t walking the woods alone at night.”

Connor gives him a stern look that melts away almost as instantly as it had appeared. He shakes his head, tutting silently. “What am I going to do with you?”

“That’s the thing, Elder McKinley,” says Kevin. “You never seem to mind all that much.”

Connor watches him for a second. He can’t quite put his finger on whether Elder Price’s words are happy or sad, but if his eyes are anything to go by, he thinks he sees a melancholy hue hiding behind the brown color. 

He returns his focus to the wound on Kevin’s wrist. It isn’t bleeding anymore, but he’s going to need a bandage either way to prevent it from opening back up. Connor gestures for Kevin to take a seat at the table, as he digs out some gauze from the first aid kit. Kevin watches as Connor dresses his wound, and without taking his eyes off Kevin’s arm, Connor says, “I do mind, you know.”

“Oh,” Kevin says and Connor feels stupid. 

“I mind because one of these days you are going to get yourself killed and that blood will be on my hands as District Leader–“

“We’re not a district anymore,” Kevin blurts. “Problem solved.”

Connor tilts his head to one side as he watches Kevin touch his now bandaged wrist. There is a strange, almost bizarre energy in the room, but Connor thinks it is comforting all the same. Elder Price usually doesn’t have that effect on a situation. Most of the times Kevin is around him, Connor worries what predicament he is going to get himself into next, and how Connor – ever the clown – will be there to save his skin. Elder Price is a liability, really, but then again so is Connor. 

“You know that’s not how this works,” he says as Kevin meets his eyes. “Regardless of leadership roles, if you die doing something stupid because I didn’t stop you, I will blame myself.”

Kevin opens his mouth as if to speak but closes it again without a single word and Connor wants to free the guilt from his eyes and heal the invisible wounds, too. Elder Price is proud, and Connor is grateful for moments like these when Kevin lets his guard down enough for Connor to see his pain. And Elder Price is grievously injured, only the scars are buried behind layers and layers of attempted repression. 

“I’m sorry,” says Kevin quietly. “For putting you in danger. It’s never my intention to jeopardize your safety, it’s just– I couldn’t find it in me to leave her.”

“I’m just glad you’re okay,” says Connor, and places a soft hand on Kevin’s. “Now get some sleep, Elder.”

Elder Price has trouble sleeping almost as often as he does things on the spur of the moment – and that’s saying something since most of Kevin’s decisions are impulsive – Connor knows this because he, too, has struggled with many a sleepless night recently. But Kevin rarely opens up about the reasons for his insomnia and Connor can’t tell him his either because _I can’t stop thinking about you_ is not a very dignified reason, Connor thinks. Yet he finds comfort in the silence they usually sit in or the aimless conversations about nothing and everything. He finds comfort in Kevin and he hopes, _prays_ , that Kevin finds comfort in him too, if only for a moment.

Kevin doesn’t say anything, he _never_ says anything when Connor tries to care for him and Connor knows he would likely benefit from backing down but he can’t. At least not with Elder Price, and somewhere in the way Kevin watches Connor’s hand resting on his own, Connor thinks he can see a glint of gratitude so he decides not to surrender this time, either. 

After what feels like an eternity but Connor knows was no more than a minute, Kevin nods twice then stands up and heads toward his room. Connor closes his eyes, a part of him relieved the night is finally coming to an end, yet another part already misses Kevin’s presence. 

“Oh, and Connor,” says Kevin.

“Hmm?” says Connor, if but a bit absentminded, as he turns to look at the Elder. 

“Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it,” Connor smiles. “But if I wake up tomorrow and the shed’s been obliterated by lions, I’m holding you responsible.”

Kevin laughs and Connor falls in love all over again. “Good night, Elder McKinley.”

“Good night, Kevin.”

**Author's Note:**

> So, I've never really written in the present tense so if I go back and forth a lot, I apologize. I really enjoyed writing this, though, and I might do more of these when my chaptered fic runs me dry on ideas. Which it does a lot. 
> 
> Feel free to leave a comment or kudos, it is always appreciated!


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